First let me tell you that I am over 55 years old and well remember buying my first Queen album (vinyl even) in 1974 and saw them many times live. The last show I saw was in 85 at the Wembley Arena during the works tour before I moved to the states. A day does not go buy without listening to something by Queen or Queen related and still think Hammer is the greatest headbanger of all time. I appreciate the work and effort that many of you put into uploading bootlegs and I often download them if I read that the sound quality is good. Usually I just can't listen to them because they are terrible. I don't think the 'better than nothing rule applies here . Am I getting old? Are you guys much bigger fans than I thought I was ? I was so excited when Queen made some of their boots available and happily paid my money, nut did they go out of their way to pick the crappiest selections? Awfull sound. Anyway, enjoy reading what you guys write and appreciate you taling the time to make stuff available. Cheers

There are around 100 great-sounding Queen bootlegs, all the way from '73 to '86... just not all of them are easy to get. In the Queen world, you need good contacts to get the right stuff. The mentality is: you have to work hard to earn something. It won't be given on a silver platter.

So, you start by getting a few common recordings, and over time, you make contacts... and slowly, the good recordings will come your way.

"The more generous you are with your music, the more it comes back to you." -- Dan Lampinski

There are around 100 great-sounding Queen bootlegs, all the way from '73 to '86... just not all of them are easy to get. In the Queen world, you need good contacts to get the right stuff. The mentality is: you have to work hard to earn something. It won't be given on a silver platter.

So, you start by getting a few common recordings, and over time, you make contacts... and slowly, the good recordings will come your way.

I often download them if I read that the sound quality is good. Usually I just can't listen to them because they are terrible.

I agree.

If I like the show/playlist very much, and sound quality is not very good, I sometimes spend a few days to "clean" it. I use Cool Edit Pro program, and I'm quite satisfied with the results. Sometimes I even astonish myself with the done work.

but that is surely overlooking one key factor - many of the poorer sounding boots have an ingredient or two that makes them much more interesting than the better sounding ones

they are usually a better show, or the band were in better spirits, or there was more improv/interaction

Yes, I think so. And imo, there are some better quality boots having better vibes or interesting setlist including numbers that have been rarely played and/or have never surfaced on any album, or both.

There are around 100 great-sounding Queen bootlegs, all the way from '73 to '86... just not all of them are easy to get. In the Queen world, you need good contacts to get the right stuff. The mentality is: you have to work hard to earn something. It won't be given on a silver platter.

So, you start by getting a few common recordings, and over time, you make contacts... and slowly, the good recordings will come your way.

Indeed. With the emergence of Torrents and other Internet uploads it does provide a platform for new collectors to build a collection, but then the problem is that certainly here the same old shows get shared over and over....meaning that most traders who can be contacted via this website will have the shows you have to offer them.

Case in point being Dallas 78 - when that was shared on Dimeadozen in FLAC, complete a while back I downloaded it from there and after consulting one or two people I was told it was a rare show and believed only elite traders would have this (giving me something new to trade with); unfortunately for me it has been shared here in FLAC since and is no longer rare...

I visit record fairs in my area regularly and am always on the lookout for factory-pressed Queen bootlegs (which by and large are of a better sound quality of a show I may already own)....it seems as if people have to spend money to obtain shows that are still trade-worthy.

I visit record fairs in my area regularly and am always on the lookout for factory-pressed Queen bootlegs (which by and large are of a better sound quality of a show I may already own)....it seems as if people have to spend money to obtain shows that are still trade-worthy.

I'd be surprised if there were many factory pressed bootlegs that increased your trading apabilities. They're usually either the same concerts or bizarre compilations in my experience.